Traditions Broken: The Redhead Masked in Green
by jazzyskye824
Summary: DOES NOT FOLLOW THE BOOKS! When Ginny Weasley is sorted into Slytherin house instead of Gryffindor, she is horrified, and so is her family. However, as she quickly makes friends and adapts to her new life, she finds help and comfort in unusual places.
1. Chapter 1: The Shock of Being Green

The nervous redheaded first year cautiously filed herself off the steaming red train and into the line of other first years forming behind the massive shadow of the Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid.

" First years o'er here!" Hagrid called, waving around the arm that wasn't carrying his customary oversized lantern.

Ginny turned towards her brother and his friends before fully stepping into line to get onto one of the small boats that would take her and her fellow first years to the castle.

"You lot are totally sure that those little boats won't tip over?" Ginny asked fearfully.

"Of course they won't tip over Ginny, don't let your Ron and Harry scare you. They are only trying to tease you." Hermionie said with a kind smile before turning towards the two boys standing next to her. "We should go get a carraige you guys, don't want to miss our only ride to the castle." She said.

Ginny reluctantly said goodbye to her older brother and his friends and let herself be shepherded onto one of the tiny boats that would be her passage across the lake to her new school

OOOOOOO

Ginny, warm and dry inside the magnificent castle that housed Englands finest young wizards and witches, was suddenly feeling nervous, even though she knew that she shouldn't. Unlike the Muggle-born witches and wizards, she had been aware of her family's magical traditions and abilities since she was born. She knew that her family had a long history of succesful witches and wizards that had all been placed in Gryffindor the moment the weathered old sorting hat touched their heads. She knew that this pattern had not been broken for the past two-hundred years, and it was highly unlikely that she be the one to break that tradition. But, somewhere deep down inside of eleven-year old Ginerva Weasly's mind, she had an inkling of doubt as to which house she would be sorted into.

As Ginny ascended the platform and sat in the fateful stool where her six older brothers had all previously sat, she remembered the taunts and threats her brothers had teased her with on the train ride there. _You better hope that you don't get sorted into Slytherin or else Mum and Dad will disown you!_ teased Ron. _The Weasley family has never had a Slytherin before…. better make sure that you're not the first one to break the tradition,_ taunted Fred. _We may be purebloods, but you better make sure the sorting hat knows that our blood isn't pure enough to be in Slytherin! _whined George. The word Slytherin had been imbeded in her mind for the rest of the train ride to Hogwarts, no matter how hard she tried to get it out. So, as the sorting hat descended upon her mass of curly red hair, Ginny Weasley was thinkng only one thing: _Anything but Slytherin. _

OOOOOOO

Despite her pleads, when the sorting hat yelled throughout the hall her new house, it was not what Ginny Weasley wanted to hear. The sorting hat had taken its time with her, unlike the experiences of her brothers, whose sorting hat experiences where fairly quick and straightforward. The sorting hat had crooned it's usuall "Aaaahhhh…… another Weasley is it?" but that was where things had taken a drastic turn for the worse. It had continued on with: "But…. You seem more complicated than the rest! There's something deep down inside of you, something especially, how should I put it? Serpent like." The hat had practically hissed the last two words. It continued: "You would do well in Gryffindor… but you would **excel **in Slytherin! Oh the choices! You are the toughest one yet! Well, I guess it will have to be……." At that moment, Ginny had wished for Gryffindor with all her might, but the response she got was totally different. "SLYTHERIN!" the sorting hat had shouted, adding in hushed tones to a bewildered Ginny "And the color will go lovely with your hair my dear!"

At the announcement of Ginny's placement in Slytherin, the entire hall went silent. Then, over at the far left side of the hall, a slow clap emerged from the seventh years at the far end of the Slytherin table, over which hung the house's banner, with the glittering silver snake emblem stuck proudly in the center. The cheers soon erupted across the table and Proffesor McGonnagal silently ushered the last of the seven Weasley children over to the rest of her new, green and silver clad housemates.

Ginny sat as close to the first year side of the table as she could. She wanted to avoid the teasing she was sure to get if she sat anywhere close to the space that the second years were occupying. Once there, despite her nervousness, she turned her attention to the two girls sitting across from her at the dining table.

Ginny Weasley had a normaly outgoing personality, and, since she knew that there was absolutely no way that she was ever going to be able to switch houses, she had decided to make the best of her stay at Hogwarts. So, throughout the ocurse of dinner, she quickly made friends with the two pretty girls across the table from her. The blonde one, named Astoria, and the brunette, named Morgan, had been frineds snce birth due to their traditional pureblood upbringings. However, despite this, they were more than happy to invite Ginny, their fellow Slytherin, into their small group.

As the main course of dinner dissapeared and the desert was apparated to their tables, Ginny Weasley realized that she had actually been having a very good time. She had not been taunted or teased once by any of the older students, and especially not by Draco Malfoy and his gang of troublemaking friends that often terrorized Ron, Harry, and Hermione. She was so sure that she wasn't going to be bothered by anyone that night, that she even decided to tell her new friends.

"You guys wont believe this, but I cant belive that I havent been teased yet by that second year Draco Malfoy. He's always terrorizing my older brother and his friends in Gryffindor and when I got placed into this house, I was so sure that I was going to be onfronted immediatley. But, so far I haven't been, not even once!" the amazed Ginny said.

"Well, it seems as if you've spoken a tad to soon." said Astoria gazing at the two figures behind Ginny's head.

"Yes, it seems you have." said a drawling voice from behind Ginny, one that couls only belong to none other than Draco Malfoy himself.

Ginny whirled around at the sound of his voice, immediatley turning the color of her hair as she realized that he had probably heard everything she said about him. She noticed another boy standing next to him and immediatley recognized him as the young Blaise Zabini, whose mother was fairly famous and was on Witch Weekly's "Top Ten Best Looking Witches of Their Generation" list several times, right along side Narssica Malfoy, Draco's mother.

The boys immediately sat down on either side of Ginny and Draco put his arm around shoulders the suddenly nervous Ginny, who knew that no good could come of the conversation to happen next.

"So," continued Malfoy, "I didn't expect someone the likes of _you_ to get into Slytherin, but it seems that I have underestimated you. Tell me Weaslette," he paused there, smiling at his own genious in creating a nickname for Ginny. "Tell me, what is your inner secret. The one thing that the sorting hat noticed in you that he put you into this house that the rest of us didn't know about you? Are you secretly the adopted child of a prestigious pureblood family?" he asked.

"No…" Ginny said, but hardly got anything out other than that one word before Blaise jumped in from her other side.

"Or do you have some deep dark twisted past that involves you and some really Dark Magic? he asked, a amused hint to his voice. He continued, "Or, even better, you are secretly harboring some great sadistic desire to do great harm to others and you are just waiting for the right moment to release you Dark potential?"

"No!" said a now exasperated Ginny, "Its none of those!"

"I've got it!" said Malfoy, an excited, yet slightly snide tone in his voice that let Ginny know that he meant the words that he said next as an insult. "You have decided that you hate having a brother that's friends with idiots like Potter and filthy Mudbloods like Granger, and you hate having a disgusting, oversized, poor as dirt, blood-traitor, family and have decided to come over to our side and help us serve the Dark Lord in bringing about the domintion of purebloods over filthy Mudbloods and Muggles?" he said, a smirk on his pale face.

There was a silence at the table and Ginny looked at Malfoy with a spiteful look. She turned around in her seat all the way, pulled back her hand, and slapped him hard across the face. Her friends gasped while Blaise erupted in a fit of laughter.

"None of the above," said Ginny. "The reason I am in Slytherin is so that I can look at your slimy face everyday and do that to you for the rest of my life here at Hogwarts. I hope you enjoy the stinging burn of that slap, because of you ever insult my family again, I'll make sure that that red mark of my hand stays on your stupid little face for the rest of forever!" she retorted, before turning away and following her friends and the rest of the first years to their dormitory.

Blaise was still laughing as ginny walked away. "Oh man," he said, "she got you good. C'mon mate, lets get to bed. I'm exhausted." He stood up and, without checking behind him to see if Drco was following, walked out of the Great Hall.

Draco sat in stunned silence for another five minutes before he turned and followed Blaise to the Slytherin dormitory where, exhausted, with the sting of Ginny Weasleys slap still on his cheek, he fell into a deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Savior

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except for the plot

To my readers: thank you for the reviews, they were much appreciated. Here is the next chapter, i hope you enjoy it!!

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A week into Hogwarts, Ginny had gotten used to her Slytherin life. She found that, surprisingly, she fit in very well with her fellow housemates and that she actually enjoyed the luxurious green and silver common rooms much more than the flaming red and gold ones that her Hermione had invited her to visit. And, the sorting hat was right, the green and silver did go marvelously with her hair.

She hadn't seen much of Draco Malfoy lately, and she hadn't seen much of her youngest brother Ron either. They were both avoiding her, though for different reasons. Malfoy refused to talk to her after their incedent in the Great Hall the first night and whenever she walked his way down the hallway, he would turn a corner or purposely go in the opposite direction so as not to have to see her. Ginny, Astoria, and Morgan all agreed that it was because he was probably frightened of her. Ron on the other hand just ignored her completely, brushing past her in the hallways while Harry and Hermione stopped to talk and say hi to her, and even going as far as teasing and saying rude things to her as if she was his enemy just because she was in Slytherin. Ginny had absolutely no idea why he would be acting this way since all her other brothers were almost completely fine with the fact that she was in Slytherin and so were her parents. Ron on the other hand seemed to be taking the shocking news worse than everyone else.

One day, as Ginny was walking to Potions with Astoria and Morgan, Ron stopped them in the hallway. Ginny was rather excited, thinking that someone had finally talked some sense into him and he was now ready to apologize and make up with her. However, when she threw her arms around him to greet him, he pushed her away and gave her a disgusted face.

"Hey, Harry! Mate! The traitor Slytherin touched me!" said Ron, in an equally disgusted tone.

Ginny looked back at her brother, astonished. These were by far the cruelest words he had spoken to her yet. Hermione came storming up to him, in a rage and knocked him upside his head.

"Have you gone mad Ronald? That's your sister you are talking about!" Hermione said angrily to Ron.

"She's no sister of mine! Did you see her all buddy buddy with Malfoy the first night at dinner? All laughing and having fun. Eck!" he said and spit on the ground. "No sister of mine would willingly associate with a bastard like Malfoy!" he said.

"You know what Ronald?" Ginny spat back angrily. "I would rather be associated with a Malfoy than an undeserving pig like you! I'm ashamed to even call you my brother!" Ginny was nearly in tears now and thoroughly late to Potions, but she didn't care. She was too angry and frustrated to even notice. Then, there were footsteps behind her and the drawling voice she had come to hate was suddenly right behind her. Astoria turned around, took one look at the person behind her friend, then dragged Morgan off to class with a quick "Sorry Ginny!".

"I heard my name being discussed and wanted to come and witness this little brother-sister disagreement." said a cocky Draco Malfoy from behind Ginny.

"YOU!" bellowed Ron before shoving his sister, Hermione, and Harry aside and storming up to Draco. "You corrupted my little sister's mind and you are gonna pay!"

"I,"started Draco, "Have done nothing whatsoever to harm your sister. On the contrary, SHE'S the one who has hurt me! I'm not the one making her cry Weasley!" Draco motioned towards the now sobbing Ginny.

"Since when do you care?!" Ron asked angrily.

"Since the moment the sorting hat yelled out 'Slytherin!' thorughout the Great Hall I cared Weasley. And, I cant have you insulting a member of my house. I don't care whether she is your sister or not. She is in my house and I will defend her, even if your parents are blood-traitors!" retorted Malfoy.

Ron just stared at Malfoy, a distorted expression on his face. Then he pulled back his arm and punched Draco in the nose.

"AHHHH!" Malfoy screamed in pain.

Ginny shrieked and rushed toward Draco while Harry and Hermione held the livid Ron back.

"Ron! What's wrong with you? What did you do?" Ginny squealed as she quickly searched through her pockets for a hankerchief to give to the bleeding Draco Malfoy.

"I gave him what he deserved! And since when do you defend Malfoy, huh?" Ron asked.

"He is my fellow Slytherin Ron, and as much as you dislike it, I have to standby my housemates, just like you do with yours." Ginny said coldly, before handing her hankerchief to a Draco.

"You little-"Ron was cut off by the approach of Proffesor Snape who had grabbed the back of Ron's robes and had turned him around to face him.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, would someone like to tell me why Draco Malfoy is bleeding and just exactly what is going on here when all five of you should be in class right now?" Snape said in his cold, nasely, drawling voice.

Ron turned towards Ginny and shot her a cold glance, one that said 'don't-you-dare-by-any-circumstances-tell-what-happened-here'. Ginny took one glance at her brother's demanding stare and turned immediately to her Head of House.

"Proffesor Snape, sir. Ron punched Malfoy in the nose after he tried to stop Ron from yelling at me and making me cry." said Ginny confidantly.

"Well, 50 points from Gryffindor and two days worth of detention for hitting a fellow student and yelling at a first year. End of discussion. Go to class you three. Now!" Snape said, sending harry and Hermione scrambling, a disgruntled Ron in tow.

" Mr. Malfoy if you would please look at me." Snape said. Malfoy did as he was told and Snape pointed his wand at his nose. The bleeding immediately stopped and the blood was wiped from his face. "Now, if you would please escort Ginny to Potions, I need to speak with Proffesor McGonagall about Weasley. Please watch my class for just a few moments while I'm gone." Snape said in an authoritive voice.

"Yes sir." Said Malfoy, before grabbing his bad and Ginny's hand and walking down the hallway towards the Dungeons. As soon as they reached the door of the classroom, Draco let go of Ginny's hand, opened the door, and placed a hand on the smll of her back. He gently steered her towardsher seat at the front of the classroom with her friends Astoria and Morgan before going up to the very front of the classroom and taking a seat in Snape's chair.

Astoria and Morgan just glanced at Ginny but siad nothing. A few minutes later when Snape entered the classroom again, Malfoy stood up from his seat and started to walk out of the classroom. Before he left, he stopped at Ginny's desk and asked if she was okay. She merely nodded in response and Draco turned to go. Ginny caught his hand and Malfoy turned back around.

"Thank you." She whispered. He sqeezed her hand in response and gave her a small smile.

"Your welcome." he said. "That's what friends are for." He walked out of the classroom without another glance back at the astonished redhead first year. However, throughout the year, he surprised her over and over with his little act of kindness, and, at the train station at the end of the year, he even gave her a goodbye hug, much to the anger of Ron and the astonishment of the rest of her family. As her family apparated apparated out of the train station at the end of the year, Ginny couldn't help but think that her first year in Slytherin had started the begginings of a beautiful friendship with none other than Draco Malfoy himself.

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sorry if it was short... hopefully the next one will be longer. also, please review! i want to know how to make this story better. =]


	3. Chapter 3: Her Confession

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story plot. J.K. Rowling owns the characters... sadly. =[**

**Readers: I know its been a long time since I updated, but I have been really busy with school lately. But its summer now... YAY! so that means I'll be able to post more often! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter... it might be kinda long. Enjoy!**

Ginny Weasley stepped into the bustling station of platform nine and three quearters, desperately seeking out her two best friends, Astoria and Morgan.

"What are you so anxious about? You need to bloody calm down!" cried a frustrated Ron, who, for the better portion of the morning, had been doing some last minute packing.

"Don't tell me to calm down. I haven't seen my best mates for the entire summer. Besides, you alredy found yours, I still haven't found mine!" Ginny replied.

"What are you going on about? I don't see –" Ginny pointed to Rons two very amused friends standing behind him. "Oh! Hey mate! Didn't see you there! Hey Hermione." Ron then proceeded to give Harry a 'guy hug' and Hermione a very awkward half-hug before pulling back, blushing. Ginny snickered behind her hand and went over to Hermione and gave her a hug.

"I have so much to tell you." Ginny whispered excitedly into Hermione's ear. Hermione nodded and pulled away mouthing 'later' to Ginny.

Ginny grinned. Hermione had become one of her best friends since the incedent in first year when Ron punched Malfoy. Professor McGonnagall had written home to their parents and explained the entire situation. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had personally come down to Hogwarts and given Ron a talking to, after which he proceeded to apologize to both Ginny AND Draco for getting mad at both of them. Since then, as long as Ginny didn't bring up too much about Slytherin or Malfoy, Ron was nice to her.

Ginny sighed and looked around the platform again for her friends. _Where could they be? _She thought to herself. Then she saw them. A little of the steam had disappeared from around the train and she saw them waving from doorway of the Hogwarts Express. Ginny grinned and called their names. They rushed over and threw themselves into Ginny's arms.

"We missed you so much Ginny!" screamed Morgan.

"Summer wasn't the same without you!" said Astoria.

"I wish I could have ben with you guys for the summer too but…" Ginny knew why they couldn't be together over the summer and why they werent allowed to send letters either. Her friends just weren't as cunning as her other Slytherin summer pen-pal. Ginny smiled at the thought and then returned back to her friends who were speaking eagerly about their plans for the year. Ginny just laughed and pulled her friends towards the train, rolling her cart over to the side where she, with the help of her friends, lugged the heavy, Slytherin sticker emblazoned trunk into the side storage.

"C'mon!" Astoria said "Let's go find a compartment."

"Okay, let me just say bye to my mum first." Ginny took off running across the platform towards her parents.

"Bye mum, bye dad!" said Ginny cheerfully, hugging and kissing both her parents on the cheek.

"Bye darling. Take care of yourself, okay? And stay out of trouble, alright? I love you!" called Mrs. Weasley as Ginny started to walk away.

"Love you too mum! You too dad!" Ginny called before waving and then rushing onto the train with her friends.

"Can you believe it Arthur? Our little girl is growing up so fast! She is already in the fifth year. I hope she's okay. With all the craziness and the He-who-must-not-be-named coming back… you think she'll be okay right?" Mrs. Weasley sobbed.

"She'll be fine darling, just fine" said Mr. Weasley as they stood and waved at their two youngest children as the train pulled out of the station.

Ginny walked down the aisle with her two best friends on either side of her. People ducked back into compartments or moved out of their way as they walked; not because they had a bad reputatuion or anything, but just because they were respected, Slytherin, pretty, and popular. Also, because at the same time they were walking down the aisle, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were walking towards them, and they were definitely feared amongst the lower grade students.

Ginny, Astoria, and Morgan walked casually up to Draco and Blaise, small smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths. When they were close enough, Blaise pushed in front of Draco and swept all three girls into a hug at once, giving each of them a kis on the forehead.

"Ginger, Blondie, Brownie! How are my three favorite Slytherin deserts?" Blaise said cheerfully before releasing them and stepping back to get a good look at them. "Srike a pose for your dearest Blaise girlies! I haven't seen you three the entire summer!"

The three girls struck outrageous model poses while Blaise pretended to click away with an invisable camera.

He put his fingers to his lips and made an exaggerated kissing motion. "Magnifico!" he said in a flawless Italian accent. Draco just stood in the background, arms crossed, with a bored expression on his face as he watched his outgoing best friend play up his charm on the three younger Slytherin girls.

"Blaise, I'm sure these three ladies have other places they would rather be than smothered by you in a crowded train corridor." Draco said jokingly as he made his way towards Blaise.

Ginny looked over Blaise's shoulder at Draco. "Now if it isn't the infamous Draco Malfoy. Well, aren't you going to say hello to your three darling dearest fifth years?" Ginny asked in a sickeningly sweet voice while batting her eyelashes innocently.

Blaise turned to look at Draco and cracked up laughing.

"Lets get a compartment and then we can chit chat alright?" Draco said impatiently before ppushing his way past Blaise and opening the compartment door right next to them and quickly ushering them all in. He closed the door and sat down next to Blaise.

Ginny remained the only one standing. "Are you going to give me a hello hug or not?" Ginny asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Draco pretended to think about it for a moment, before Ginny smacked him and he got up and gave her a hug.

"I missed you." He whispered in her ear before pulling way and giving Astoria and Morgan each their welcome back hug also. Ginny looked over and smiled at Draco, inconspicuously mouthing 'missed you too' to him before taking a seat next to Astoria.

For the next hour and a half, Draco and Ginny held a silent conversation between themsleves while pretending to listen to Blaise explain his summer of hooking up with hot girls in Italy, and Astoria and Morgan's summer of island hopping through the Carribean and flirting with cute cabana boys. It was only when Astoria turned to Ginny and asked about her summer did Ginny and Draco break up their silent conversation.

"Oh, um, well you know…. I did the same old same old. Nothing exotic. Just stayed home, you know, at the Burrow." Ginny smiled weakly and got a 'you-better-explain-to-me-later' look from Astoria.

"The Burrow sounds like a place where rabbits live. Say, that wouldn't be why you have so many brothers would it? You know, cause your parents breed like rabbits?" Blaise joked.

Ginny just glared at him while Astoria, exhasperated, said, "Blaise, you tell that joke every year when we are on the train to Hogwarts. it was barely funny the first time. Now it's just annoying."

Ginny smiled gratefully at her best friend. Before reaching over and smacking Blaise upside the head. She sat down with a satisfied smirk and looked over at Draco, who had a tight lipped grin, like he was trying to hold back laughter. He caught her eye and winked at her, and she accidetally giggled.

"Okaaaay." Blaise said, looking between the two of them. "One: Bloody hell that hurt! What in Merlin's name was that for? And two: what the bloody hell is going on between you two?"

"One," Ginny said. "I did that because I'm sick and tired or you teasing me about my family. And two, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. And three, watch your language!"

Blaise looked at Ginny with a stunned expreassion before he hastily composed himself. "A very likey story Weasley." Blaise said. "Don't think I havent noticed the tortured glances, the mouthing of words, the little silent conversations you guys have been having this entire time. I bet if I asked you right now to tell me what I did over the summer, you wouldn't be able to tell me what I said earlier. You were probably too caught up in Draco's dreamy silver eyes to notice!"

" I can too tell you what you did over the summer! The same thing you have been doing the past two summers. Lounging around in one of your Villas in Italy surrounded by gorgeous Italian girls that may or may not exist and screwing them senseless with a part of your body that may or may not exist in a few seconds if you don't stop talking about me and Draco like that!" Ginny said vehemently.

"Ginny…" Draco said warningly, glancing at his stunned best friend.

"I mean," Ginny continued, oblivious to Draco's warning. "Who cares if we are going out?" She said, in a slightly crazed voice. "And who cares that we have been secretly sending each other letters the entire summer? Or that we got together last year after the Yule ball and have been keeping our entire relationship a secret? I mean does it really matter? Its not like it CHANGES ANYTHING!" Ginny ended her rant, sitting tiredly back down on her seat in the compartment. No one said anything, too stunned to even speak. Draco just looked at Ginny stunned into silence. Blaise was the only one who spoke.

"On the contrary Ginny, this changes _everything_."

**Please review and tell me what you think! Sorry if this chapter was kind of long and boring, it was a kind of needed filler chapter to let you readers know what had been going on. **


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